Shower curtain



Dec. 31, 1957 11 w BARBOUR ETAL 2,817,850

' SHOWER- CURTAIN Filed Aug. 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

BY WWW ATTORNEY Dec. 31, 1957 w, BARBOUR ETAL 2,817,850

SHOWER CURTAI'EN 2 Sheets-Sheet 21 Filed Aug. 16, 1954 INVENTOR5 DQUI d W. Barbg r v '4 TTOR/VE Y United States Patent @fiice 2,817,850 Patented Dec. 31, 1957 2,817,850 SHOWER CURTAIN David W. Barbour, Akron, and Jess Czetli, Copley, Ohio Application August 16, 1954, Serial No. 450,077

6 Claims. (21. 4-149 This invention relates to shower curtains, and in particular relates to shower curtains which are waterweighted in use in a shower bath, to prevent the curtains from being blown inwardly by air currents which are incident to taking shower baths.

In the past, shower curtains have been provided with water-containing means at the lower marginal edges thereof, but these have not been commercially acceptable for various reasons, such as that the water-retaining means provided was not always thoroughly drained, and as a consequence scum or mildew often accumulated with harmful results. This fault was at least in part due to the difficulty of locating outlet apertures at the lowermost portions of the water-retaining means and in part due to the fact that the prior structures were not conducive to full drainage of water after each use of the shower curtain. Certain known prior structures had water-retaining means which tended to bulge in use, due to pressure of the retained water, with resultant permanent damage to the curtain.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved shower curtain having water-weighting means which will not substantially stretch fabric portions thereof to damage the curtain.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shower curtain with water-weighting means which will not retain water therein after use of the curtain for shower purposes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved water-weighting structure which materially enhances the appearance of the curtain.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description thereof and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a shower curtain, embodying the features of the invention, that is, illustrating the inner face of the curtain in relation to its use in a shower hath (not shown).

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view of the lower right-hand corner of the curtain as seen in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section, taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Figure 2, and showing the water-weighting means in normal collapsed or empty shape.

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 3, but illustrating the water-weighting means partly filled with water.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View of the lower left-hand edge portion of the curtain, particularly as seen in Figure 2.

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmentary horizontal crosssections, taken substantially on the lines 6-6 and 7-7, respectively of Figure 2., parts of Figure 6 being shown in chain-dotted lines.

Figure 8 is a view corresponding to Figure 2, but illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Figure 9 is a view corresponding to Figure 4, taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Figure 8, and in which the water-weighting means is partly filled.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 in part, namely illustrating the water-weighting means as a unit in collapsed or empty condition for attachment to any shower curtain.

Referring to Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings, there is illustrated one form of the invention wherein the numeral 15 designates a rectangular shower'curtain panel, of suitable flexible water-impervious material, such as thermoplastic or heat fusible vinyl resin sheeting, the same having a suitable header 16 at the top thereof, and provided with water-weighting means 17 at the lower margin of the same.

The weighting means 17 may be provided by superposing a narrow, straight-edged, strip 18 of similar vinyl sheeting upon the lower marginal edge portion of the panel 15, the strip being permanently secured to the panel by use of a suitable heat-stitching tool or die (not shown) adapted to fuse or weld the two layers together along an undulating path provided by a series of laterally spaced, narrow V-shaped weld depressions 19, 19, the laterally opposite attaching portions 20, 20 of each of which converge downwardly to spaced points at the lower edge of the panel, thereby defining a series of V-shaped pockets .151, 21 having relatively small outlet openings 2.2, 22 at the bottoms thereof. The upper ends of adjacent attaching portions 20 of adjacent V-shaped weld depressions 19 are joined by an arcuate weld portion 23 substantially below the upper edge of strip 18. Thus, the attaching depressions 19 define a water-retaining trough 24 extending across the entire width of the panel 15,-the lower portions of the trough being .formed with the aforementioned V-shaped pockets 21. The portions 25 of the superposed plastic layers defined by the weld depressions 19 may be removed by a tearing operation, as shown in Figure 2, thereby to leave the spaces between the adjacent attaching portions 20 of adjacent pockets 21 free and unobstructed, so that the pockets may form out effectively upon being filled with water in use of the curtain (see Figure 4), as will be described later. Removal of the portions 25 also produces a scalloped edge which enhances the ornamental appearance of the curtain. Overstraining of the filled pockets may be prevented by provision of vertical attaching welds 26, 26 dividing the pockets into separate water-restraining compartments each communicating with the respective outlet opening 21.

In use of the improved curtain, while hung in vertical condition in a shower bath, water from a shower spray nozzle (not shown) flowing down the inner surface of panel 15 will enter the trough 24 at top edge 27 of strip is, to fill the trough 24 including the sub-divided pockets 21 thereof (see Figure 4). The openings 22in the pockets are proportioned to drain a predetermined proportion of water thus received, while retaining sufficient water in the pockets make the same serve as weights which prevent the curtain from being blown about by the usual air currents incident to use of shower baths.

As soon as use of the shower spray is discontinued, full drainage of water from the pockets 21 is made possible by the downwardly converging sides. As no water can be trapped in the pockets the inner surfaces thereof have an opportunity'to dry out completely, and hence no damaging scum or mold will accumulate.

Referring to Figures 8, 9 and 10, there is illustrated a shower curtain panel 28 of any suitable curtain fabric material, and having a separate water-weighting device 29 (see Figure 10) suitably attached thereto as by sewing or heat welding stitches shown at 30 and 31.

The water-weighting device 29 may comprise superposed inner and outer relatively narrow strips 32 and 33, respectively, of heat-fusible vinyl plastic sheeting, attached to each other by heat welding or stitching means, as before, to form reinforced ll-shaped pockets 34, 34, like portions of the device, therefore, being indicated by the same numerals as in Figures 1 to 7, unless otherwise noted. Figures 9 and 10 show filled and collapsed conditions of the pockets 34, respectively. To facilitate attachment of the device 29 to panel 28, the top marginal portion 35 of inner strip 32 may be extended above the top edge 36 of the outer strip 33. This stepped relation of the two strips also facilitates proper downward flow of water into the pockets 34. Use and operation of the device 23 on shower curtain panel 28 is otherwise the same as described previously in connection with Figures 1 to 7.

Other modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A shower curtain having upper and lower ends, comprising a panel of flexible sheet material having affixed at the lower marginal edge portion thereof laterally extending weighting means formed of superposed layers of flexible sheet material to provide a relatively shallow trough-like portion opening upwardly and adjacent an in ner side of the panel to catch water flowing down the same in use of the panel as for shower purposes, said trough-like portion terminating downwardly in a series of pockets arranged side-by-side laterally across the panel, said pockets each being defined by laterally opposite attaching portions between said superposed layers converging downwardly toward a point of intersection of the opposite attaching portions but short of said point to define bottom opening means at the bottom of the pocket, said pockets thereby being adapted to receive said water flowing into the trough-like portion, said opening means of each pocket being of relatively small flow area permit ting retarded flow of water from the pocket while water 5 at the lower marginal edge portion thereof iaterally extending weighting means formed of superposed layers of flexible sheet material to provide a relatively shallow trough-like portion opening upwardly and adjacent an inner side of the panel to catch water flowing down the same in use of the panel as for shower purposes, said trough-like portion terminating downwardly in a series of pockets arranged side-by-side laterally across the panel, said pockets each being defined by laterally opposite attaching portions between said superposed layers converging downwardly toward a point of intersection of the opposite attaching portions but short of said point to define bottom opening means at the bottom of the pocket, said pockets thereby being adapted to receive said water flowing into the trough-like portion, said opening means of each pocket being of relatively small flow area permitting retarded flow of water from the pocket while water temporarily retained therein serves as weighting means for the panel, the lower edge portions of each said pocket defined by the adjacent attaching portions thereof being free and unobstructed to permit distension of the pocket upon becoming filled with water.

3. A shower curtain having upper and lower ends, comprising a panel of flexible sheet material having aflixed at the lower marginal edge portion thereof laterally extending weighting means formed of superposed layers'of flexible sheet material to provide a relatively shallow trough-like portion opening upwardly and adjacent an inner side of the panel to catch water flowing down the same in use of the panel as for shower purposes, said trough-like portion terminating downwardly in a series of pockets arranged side-by-side laterally across the panel, said pockets each being defined by laterally opposite at taching portions between said superposed layers converging downwardly toward a point of intersection of the opposite attaching portions but short of said point to define bottom opening means at the bottom of the pocket, said pockets thereby being adapted to receive said water flowing into the trough-like portion, said opening means of each pocket being of relatively small flow area permitting retarded flow of water from the pocket while water temporarily retained therein serves as weighting means for the panel, the lower edge portions of each said pocket defined by the adjacent attaching portions thereof being free and unobstructed to permit distension of the pocket upon becoming filled with water, said superposed layers being of heat-fusible plastic sheeting, said attaching portions being provided by heat-fusing through the layers.

4. A shower curtain having upper and lower ends, comprising a panel of flexible sheet material having atfixed at the lower marginal edge portion thereof laterally extending weighting means formed of superposed layers of flexible sheet material to provide a relatively shallow trough-like portion opening upwardly and adjacent an inner side of the panel to catch water flowing down the same in use of the panel as for shower purposes, said trough-like portion terminating downwardly in a series of pockets arranged side-by-side laterally across the panel, said pockets each being defined by laterally opposite attaching portions between said superposed layers can verging downwardly toward a point of intersection of the opposite attaching portions but short of said point to define bottom opening means at the bottom of the pocket, said pockets thereby being adapted to receive said water flowing into the trough-like portion, said opening means of each pocket being of relatively small flow area permitting retarded flow of water from the pocket while water temporarily retained therein serves as weighting means for the panel, said superposed layers being attached centrally of said pockets to divided the same into separate water-containing compartments communicating with the openings at the bottoms of the pockets.

5. A shower curtain having upper and lower ends, comprising a panel of flexible sheet material having aflixed at the lower marginal edge portion thereof laterally extending weighting means formed of superposed layers of flexible sheet material to provide a relatively shallow trough-like portion opening upwardly and adjacent an inner side of the panel to catch water flowing down the same in use of the panel as for shower purposes, said trough-lil e portion terminating downwardly in a series of pockets arranged side-byside laterally across the panel, said pockets each being defined by laterally opposite attaching portions between said superposed layers converging downwardly toward a point of intersection of the opposite attaching portions but short of said point to define bottom opening means at the bottom of the pocket, said pockets thereby being adapted to receive said water flowing into the trough-like portion, said opening means of each pocket being of relatively small flow area permitting retarded flow of water from the pocket while water temporarily retained therein serves as weighting means for the panel, said panel constituting the outside layer of said superposed layer of said trough-like portion and the inside layer thereof being a relatively narrow strip of the flexible sheet material.

6. A shower curtain having upper and lower ends, comprising a panel of flexible sheet material having aflixed at the lower marginal edge portion thereof laterally extending weighting means formed of superposed layers of flexible sheet material to provide a relatively shallow trough-like portion opening upwardly and adjacent an inner side of the panel to catch water flowing down the same in use of the panel as for shower purposes, said trough-like portion terminating downwardly in a series of pockets arranged side-by-side laterally across the panel, said pockets each being defined by laterally opposite attaching portions between said superposed layers converging downwardly toward a point of intersection of the op posite attaching portions but short of said point to define bottom opening means at the bottom of the pocket, said 6 flexible sheet material, the lower edge portions of each said pocket defined by the adjacent attaching portions thereof being free and unobstructed to permit distension of the pocket upon becoming filled with water.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Amdur Sept. 26, 1939 

